Stonestreet 2012 Rock Fall Cabernet Sauvignon (95WA 94AG)

Size: 750ml

Item Code: WN17022802

Vintage: 2012

$89.99Regular: $107.69

“The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall Vineyard, which sees 57% new French oak for 20 months, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with a deep, opaque purple color and notes of charcoal, créme de cassis, graphite and white chocolate. It is full-bodied, multilayered, very deep, impressive and long. Stonestreet continues to build wines that show less emphasis on toasty new oak and more emphasis on vineyard site, fruit quality, and overall harmony and elegance. They make two Sauvignon Blancs, seven Chardonnays and five Cabernet Sauvignons, all from the Alexander Valley high-elevation hillside vineyards of the Jackson family. “ (WA)

“Graphite, smoke, tobacco, new leather, licorice and gravel are some of the signatures in Stonestreet’s 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall. The most savory and mineral of these Cabernets, the Rockfall is also arguably the wine that captures the greatest amount of site specificity. The firm tannins are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit, but they are there. In this vintage though, the contours are a bit softened, which does have the benefit of making the wine more accessible early, but at some expense of vineyard nuance.” (AG)

Ratings and Awards

95 Wine Advocate

94 Antonio Galloni

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon makes the most dependable candidate for aging, more often improving into a truly great wine than any other single varietal. With age, its distinctive black currant aroma can develop bouquet nuances of cedar, violets, leather, or cigar box and its typically tannic edge may soften and smooth considerably. It is the most widely planted and significant among the five dominant varieties in the Medoc district of France’s Bordeaux region, as well as the most successful red wine produced in California. Long thought to be an ancient variety, recent genetic studies at U.C. Davis have determined that Cabernet Sauvignon is actually the hybrid offspring of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Cabernet sauvignon berries are small, spherical with black, thick and very tough skin. This toughness makes the grapes fairly resistant to disease and spoilage and able to withstand some autumn rains with little damage. It is a mid to late season ripener. These growth characteristics, along with its flavor appeal have made Cabernet Sauvignon one of the most popular red wine varieties worldwide. The best growing sites for producing quality wines from Cabernet Sauvignon are in moderately warm, semi-arid regions providing a long growing season, on well-drained, not-too-fertile soils. Vineyards in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley, much of the Napa Valley, and around the Paso Robles area of the Central Coast have consistently produced the highest-rated California examples. Typically, Cabernet Sauvignon wines smell like black currants with a degree of bell pepper or weediness, varying in intensity with climatic conditions, viticulture practices, and vinification techniques. Climates and vintages that are either too cool or too warm, rich soils, too little sun exposure, premature harvesting, and extended maceration are factors that may lead to more vegetative, less fruity character in the resulting wine.